The Airlander was spotted caught by a gust of air, lifting up from the ground

Witnesses initially believed that the giant airship, which is undergoing renovations, had broken loose from its moorings and nose-dived into the field, but a spokeswoman for the Airlander confirmed the craft was simply caught in a gust of wind.

Witness Paul Britton, 44, caught sight of the airship, saying: "We were walking past the field and suddenly saw the back end of the airship lift off the ground.

"The airship has been outside for a couple of weeks and is fastened to the ground."

The airbags, which also allow the aircraft to land safely at a greater range of landing angles, are more than three metres in length and contain 15m3 gas

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch found the crash was caused when Airlander couldn't be secured to its mooring mast at the end of its flight because a faulty winch meant the mooring line was hanging below the aircraft.